#there are so many factors soured the relationship between

[starlight95tonight]

I'll never understand the whole "Alicent manipulated her kids into hating Rhaenyra" and that "if she didn't they would have a good sibling relationship" like are we watching the same show at this point?

Rhaenyra has literally never tried to bond with her siblings and she literally wanted her 10 year old brother to be "questioned sharply"... she literally wanted him to be tortured!!

Where did people get the delusion from that they would ever have a good sibling relationship??

#there are so many factors soured the relationship between #there are so many factors that soured the relationship #the siblings and one of the biggest was their father #people just love blaming alicent for everything #and never take into account how much of their #sour relationship is viserys fault #also any kind of relationship worls two ways #you gotta put in the effort to make it work #and rhaenyra or the green siblings put any effort into their relationship #they all hate eachothers guts #hotd #house of the dragon #anti hotd fandom #fandom critical #anti viserys i targaryen #anti team balck #pro team green #team green #anti rhaenyra targaryen

[princeescaluswords]

damn never knew what sterek was but of course it's ppl shipping a teenager with an adult who embarrass themselves in front of the cast 🙄

The story is far more complex, I believe, and far more disturbing.

Yes, Sterek is a ship between a character, Stiles, who was 16 at the start of the series and a character, Derek, who was, as at a minimum 21 at the start of the series. Let me make it clear, I don't think that there would be anything wrong with shipping these two in fandom activities, as long as the power differences between them weren't ignored. I've always maintained that when it comes to age, numbers don't tell the whole story.

There are mitigating factors. To begin with, Derek's age was never outright stated in the show. In fact, there was an early draft of the first episode that had his age as 19. That did not make it into the actual filmed scenes, and with good reason. Kate Argent, a villain, seduced Derek to learn the secrets of his family home so she could burn the family alive. While that event had been given a range of dates between six and ten years before the start of the show, if it had been Kate Argent, would have been a 22-year-old substitute teacher seducing a 13-year-old werewolf. It's obvious that while they wanted to paint Kate as a monster (and she was!) the production made an effort to age up Derek, to the story's benefit. After all, we learn that a 15-year-old Derek was responsible for the death of his first girlfriend before Kate seduced him in Visionary (3x08) and 117 (4x02). He couldn't have been 19 in Wolf Moon (1x01).

But the embarrassment they cause the cast isn't due to the age difference. It's caused by the utter overwhelming strength of this ship's grip on the fandom when the relationship ultimately had nothing to do with canon. Of course, Derek and Stiles had an evolving relationship, but there was never the slightest hint of them being romantically interested in each other. Stiles certainly had instances of questioning his sexuality, but Derek was never remotely involved with those instances. Derek never had any scenes which presented him as anything but a heterosexual male.

Of course -- and this can't be stressed enough -- this doesn't invalidate the ship in and of itself. Sterek, as a ship, has many things to recommend it. Instead, it is the behavior of Sterek shippers that causes the discomfort. It was the way they swamped conventions and tried to make them exclusively about a ship that wasn't canon. It was the way they felt entitled to their ship; they insisted that it be talked about as if it was part of the story. When it turned out not to be, they ended up despising the show, the cast, and especially the lead protagonist, Scott McCall, and his actor, Tyler Posey because they felt cheated about something that was never going to happen and never promised by the text itself as possibly happening. They attacked the writing and the acting out of sour grapes; they created meta completely divorced from canon and made a cottage industry out of fanfiction twisting the narrative not to celebrate their favorite ship but to disparage the canon that wouldn't. Fifty percent of all fanfiction focuses on this ship. There are 49,846 stories on Ao3 exclusively focused on this ship, compared to the 340 stories exclusively focused on the primary canon romantic couple.

For example, once, and only once, Tyler Posey responded to a question about the ship with the idea that Sterek shipping had become weird and that if so-called fans were watching the show for a ship that wasn't going to happen, they were watching for the wrong reason. Even ten years after "Poseygate," people still hate Posey for even suggesting that looking for Sterek in canon was going to be -- as it obviously should have been seen as -- fruitless.

The hostility of the Sterek shippers to canon is still ongoing, over six years since the show ended. In fact, one could argue that hatred of canon and hatred of the lead protagonist (and his actor) has become more important to many Sterek shippers than the actual ship itself. The powerful canon relationships between Derek and Scott is treated as if non-existent; the powerful canon relationship between Stiles and Scott is treated as if it were the lead protagonist's delusion. Racist stereotypes of Mexicans appear applied to the lead protagonist regularly and without pushback throughout Sterek shipping content. Sterek shippers decided to hate the recent movie without many of them actually seeing it. Remember, this show's been off the air since 2017, and they're still angry about this.

If you were a member of the cast, would you possibly have any idea how to respond to that type of behavior? How could you be comfortable with the idea that your work has been so deliberately and thoroughly misinterpreted? Would you want to confront a vicious "fandom" that often expresses their disappointment by descending into racism and misogyny? I wouldn't know how to do it.

#anti sterek #teen wolf fandom problems #fandom problems #fandom racism #scott mccall defense squad

[thesmallmeggles]

Zanzo's Backstory Headcanons, in a more specific order than the previous post

37 years prior to the canon events of Hi-Fi Rush, Zanzo and his older fraternal twin brother were born prematurely at a hospital somewhere. (I read that two of the risk factors for developing cerebral palsy were being a twin and premature birth, so that's what this is based on.)

His older brother, who I named Katsu, is neurotypical and able-bodied. (Fraternal twins share 50% of their DNA, so this is possible.) He has a mellower, more conventional personality. He works in either Human Resources or Customer Service at a rival tech company.

Zanzo's personality as a child is best described as a little shit (affectionate). Loud, opinionated, spite motivated. Center of shenanigans. But rarely malicious. (Meg, isn't that just his canon behavior? Parts of it, yeah.)

The brothers were practically joined at the hip when they were kids. (Apart from occasional arguments and competitiveness).

This relationship weakened as they hit their teens and beyond, with Katsu's increased popularity and social demands.

Diagnosis... happened earlier on. The palsy and hearing loss certainly got noticed first. Once those got sorted out, autism became more apparent.

If cybernetics were available, I think they were well out of Zanzo's parents' budget. They made do with regular aids, which are also fairly expensive. (Many variables in place with that. Which is not our focus here.)

He used a walker indoors and a manual wheelchair outdoors. Both were extensively decorated with stickers, tape, and paint.

Zanzo learned to lip read but not sign language.

Zanzo's parents raised him and Katsu to the best of their ability. They held high expectations for their sons, pushing them to succeed. From Zanzo's perspective, there was an verbally unexpressed undercurrent of him failing to measure up.

I think what crushed him more than anything was the sense that no one truly supported him. His physical needs were addressed, but the emotional happened inconsistently. He coped with this by retreating into his interests.

Zanzo's foray into robotics began with repairing a broken toy robot. He guided Katsu in the reassembly process because he had steadier hands. It took years of convincing for his parents to buy him a robotics kit.

As far as schooling goes, I don't have any solid thoughts over whether he was mainstreamed or in special education classes. Definitely had multiple therapies and case workers throughout the years.

Being an outgoing kid, Zanzo had no problem seeking out friends. The problem was keeping them. And difficulties seemed to increase with age.

Avid member of his school's anime and video gaming clubs and its robotics team.

The folks who liked him noted his humor and creativity. They probably expected him to become a comic book artist, an animator, or video game developer.

He got relentlessly bullied/excluded for being "weird" (autistic) and physically disabled his entire schooling. Unfortunately, Zanzo ended up in trouble more often than not.

So about the "Jojo Villain OC" mask I mentioned last post. There was a time in Zanzo's teen years when he attempted to come off as "normal". (And yet again when he first arrived at Vandelay Technologies.) It did not work out like he hoped.

This persona is meant to keep others at a distance, I think. The opposite of regular autistic masking.

Vandelay Tech hired Zanzo as a programmer/engineer. (I'm split between the two.)

One day, Zanzo took the opportunity to share his concept art for future robots with Roxanne during one of her visits to the R&D labs. Kale found these drawings later and realized he had a good contender for replacing Macaron. (If Kale had investigated Zanzo more thoroughly, he probably would have picked someone else.)

The last time Zanzo spoke to Katsu was shortly after landing a job at Vandelay. (He cut off ties with his parents earlier.) Their conversation ended on a sour note.

Zanzo used to be a member of a disability forum. He left after a member voiced displeasure about his newly acquired cybernetics. (And the resulting argument that got both accounts banned.)

Becoming head of R&D should have been a dream come true. He gets to make robots! There's just so much more stress involved. (Not that Zanzo ever told anyone about it.)

Zanzo worried about not being able to fulfill his duties, especially with his employees continually singing Macaron's praises. (Those who did so within Zanzo's earshot often got "transferred to other responsibilities".)

Canonically speaking, the department heads operate on "teeth gritting teamwork". Zanzo battles Roquefort over budget matters, but I don't think he hates his coworkers. They're the closest thing he has to friends right now. (I may be wrong.)

Zanzo had plenty of questions about Project Armstrong and SPECTRA. Whenever he expressed them, they often got shut down and or ignored. Eventually, Zanzo gave up pursuing answers and stuck to his work.

The fates of earlier (human) test subjects weigh heavily on his mind. (The secretary robot after chamber three could've been referring to humans, robots, or both with her comments about survivors. We don't know for certain.) He knows he's in a messed up situation, but he can't get out of it. (As we saw in Korsica's case, Kale could very well kill him.) Besides, the robots overwhelmed them. It's not his fault. It's not his fault.

#hi fi rush #hi fi rush zanzo #zanzo #headcanon #also original characters? #sorry if this post is clunkier than the first #this is a rough draft #it can be polished later #zanzo needs a gift basket #edited

[positivelybeastly]

🖤(for bobby? ^_^)

attractiveness:

repulsive / hideous / ugly / not attractive / unappealing / not unattractive / meh / no preference / ok / mildly attractive / nice looking / cute / adorable / attractive / pleasant on the eyes / good looking / hot / sexy / beautiful / gorgeous / hot damn / would tap that / perfect / godlike / holy fuck there are no words.

Classic bear/twunk synergy going on here, tbh. I think Hank's always been aware of Bobby being objectively a very handsome young man, but I don't think that it's the kind of handsome that makes Hank descend into lust - he just doesn't quite read that way to me. He's cute, he's good looking, but, idk, this is one that boils down way more to how they interact and their personalities than anything else.

personality:

grating / irritating / frustrating / boring / confusing at best / awkward / unreasonable / psychotic / disturbing / interesting / engaging / affectionate / aggressive / ambitious / anxious / artistic / bad tempered / bossy / charismatic / appealing / unappealing / creative / courageous / dependable / unreliable / unpredictable / predictable / devious / dim / extroverted / introverted / egotistical / gregarious / fabulous / impulsive / intelligent / sympathetic / talkative / up beat / peaceful / calming / badass / flexible.

This is one that can really run the gamut - Hank can either find Bobby to be one of the single most annoying people on the planet, or his single best friend on the face of the Earth, and yes, there's plenty of room in between for those to exist simultaneously. I've talked before about how this friendship has soured in recent years, but even with Hank retreating from it, I don't think he sees Bobby as a bad person, just not one that he can rely on or find solace in a lot of the time. His emotional needs are too complex and their history too messy - in Hank's mind, anyway.

how likely they would have sex with them:

not if they were the last person on earth and the world was ending / fuck no! / never / no way / not likely / not sure / indifferent / I’m asexual / maybe / probably / it depends / fairly likely / likely / yeah sure / yes / would tap that / hell yes / fuck yes! / wishing that could happen right now / as many times as possible / we are already having sex.

Bobby/Hank is something that kind of has to come with an emotional component, imo. Hank's era of relationships without emotional investment are long since gone, and especially if he was going to have sex with a friend like Bobby, he would want to be sure that it isn't going to ruin what they have or make it worse. He can get sexual gratification plenty of places, but the relationship that Bobby offers, platonic or non, is too valuable for him to ruin it just to get his end away.

level of friendship:

never in a million years / worst of enemies / enemies / rivals / indifferent / neutral / acquaintance / friendly toward each other / casual friends / friends / good friends / best friends / fuck buddies / bosom buddies / practically the same person / would die for them / true friends / my only friend.

This one really varies depending on the time period, tbh. I feel like the times they were closest were the 60s and the 80s, so O5 and Defenders/X-Factor, with the 00s really seeing the end of their friendship and the trend more towards just - knowing, one another. Hell, there's a moment during Avengers vs. X-Men where Bobby joins Scott's side of things, and he tries to appeal to his and Hank's friendship, and Hank is just. Cold, towards him. He doesn't even flinch. I think there's a lot of bottled up anger in there.

first impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

Let's be real here, teen Bobby was annoying as hell, but then, so was teen Hank. Teenagers are annoying! But I definitely think that Bobby was Hank's first real male friend, the one I'd point to as, this is where Hank learned to make proper friends with people, and that counts for a lot.

current impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

Ahahahahahahahaha how depressing of an answer do you want?

Oh, wait, I know.

X-Force Beast wouldn't piss on Bobby if he was on fire, and Bobby doesn't even think of him when he's dying. If they don't hate each other, it's because they don't care about one another anymore.

#fatummortem #muse assessment meme #outofmuffins #body horror tw

[jess-moloney]

How much of this do you think jamie knows? I wonder if he really would even break up with her, it would be better for him in the long-run but how much does she have him wrapped around her finger.. I had a narcissistic controlling father, and Jamies face just reminds me of my mothers when she was still in that relationship. I hope he can leave.

I mean it really depends. I was in a relationship with a person who gaslit me for years before I realized it. Once I began to understand what was going on that's when everything soured for me. However, unfortunately, I was tied up in a lease with this person. Both of us were paying rent and neither of us could afford to leave. It remained a volatile situation for a long time because my partner (of course) refused to get a new place and they knew I couldn't do anything about it.

There are so many factors. Will he leave her? Maybe. Does he think he can "fix" this? Maybe. Has she convinced him she will "change"? Not that she will but narcissists are very good at that and can string people along for a while with that crap. According to his recent posts, he does seem to be aware of something going on that's not right. I guess we could assume it's Jess. Especially since she felt the need to make that cooking video and post that old video of Jamie as if it were recent.

I think something is going on between them. It's not good either. Will it mean a breakup? Who knows. Only time will tell. I do hope that if those posts are about her and he really is unhappy and he's figured out that he's been lied to, he's doing what he can to break it off. Though I don't think he was aware at first he may be coming to terms with it.

I have a feeling that his recent song (though very good) not doing as well as his others probably soured him on Jess's "management tips" and made him realize that she has no idea what she's doing. It may have forced him to look into her background, figure out more about who she is, etc. Now with people online speaking against her and putting all of this information into posts if he wants to see it, it's much easier now (though I still don't think he looks at my blog even if I think she does) but...who knows? I'm just glad the information is out there and can be discovered and people are starting to see who Jess really is.

#jess moloney #jamie campbell bower #jamie bower #mail

[dojae-huh]

talking about insecurities....do you think jeado is insecure about one of them would leave the other??..did u ever felt that kind of fear in their eyes?..coz u said if dy shows too much jealousy it would be his insecure feelings .then what abt jae? does he show it becoz he is insecure...I knw about old jae coz he was insecure abt their relationship....but now it is different....he is very matured and believe and trust evry neos ..but still he gets jealous now....so I dont quite understand how it works differently in 2 peoples?? If u dont mind can you explain when u r free....? Thankyou ...have a nice day...

You put too much fate in me, I'm not a mind reader. The conclusions I can make are limited, a picture painted with large strokes.

Jaehyun went a long way. Nowadays Jungwoo can sit on Do's bare back and give him massage, and Jaehyun won't blink (if there is a solid reason like shooting variety content, of course, lol). He also can share Do to a degree (armpit tickling sessions by JaeWoo or JaeYong, joining the jokes about TaeDo needing to get married).

Last time I saw Jaehyun being really jealous was during a fanmeet (was it 2022?), when fans hugged Doyoung. However, Doyoung behaved the same way that time (just not as noticeably). They both don't like seeing strangers "claiming" and flirting with their boyfriend. In such a case it's not insecurity, it's inability to tell another person off, the torture of "swallowing the offence", a reminder about the shakles of idol life and hiding, etc.

With Jae there should have been that fear during the first year or two. He was rejected once and he knows Doyoung puts the work and the team above himself. With Do, I think, the doubt was more in himself/circumstances as Jae proved many times he won't back out, I even suspect Do kind of tested him before doing the big jump.

A possibility of one person leaving the other is always there, a couple is not conjoined twins. This is precisely why quarrels are sorted out, middle ground is found, romantic gesture are made, love songs are written, etc. Both JaeDo work on sustaining their relationship, making the sailing smoother. At this point in their relationship I don't observe any insecurities. Jaehyun can even write a song about being apart and pursuing own dreams, yet being happy during short randevous.

The difference between two people is the difference in their personality, how their brains function. Jaehyun is a jealous type, Doyoung is not. Jaehyun probably will never get rid of jealous reactions and comments, he can't control them, it's how his brain is wired. All he can do is fight it with logic. Doyoung is more of putting a label on things and trusting the label untill proven wrong type of person. He will not question Jaehyun's love and loyalty unless he faces undeniable proof of cheating. And, as we know, emotional cheating counts as well in his case.

To explain with examples. Look how long it took Doyoung to see Jaehyun as a man having a crush on him and flirting with him instead of a donsaeng to take care of. Jaehyun figuratively had to throw a bucket of cold water at him for shock factor. And how hard it was for Doyoung to start to see his cute Dreamies as grown up men instead of the cute kids he babysat.

Both Doyoung and Jaehyun know that other neos are not a threat, not rivals. To different degree with different members, but still. For Do's brain it's enough to rest assured, for Jae's it is not, visual cues still provoke spikes of jealousy or displeasure. I'm saying it's not romantic because Jaehyun suffers from this trait. His mood sours, he has harder time concentrating on the job, his friendships with other members get more complicated, it requires Doyoung to go extra mile to calm him down (additional burden), etc.

[bethestaryouareradio]

April Powers Earth Day

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April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” William Shakespeare

StarStyle® Empowerment is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Gardeners refer to April showers bringing May flowers, and that is a truism. As an avid gardener, I believe in April powers as gardens burst into life with abundant floral reveals marking the beginning of a vibrant growing season.

In late 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture updated hardiness zones based on weather conditions between 1991-2020. The upward trend in warming temperatures is no surprise, yet our area has remained at zone 9b. The zones are a recommendation for hardiness when planning your planting. To find specimens that will thrive in our gardens, I advise buying local at your preferred nursery as you’ll find natives and plants that are acclimated to our climate. Also, local nurseries employ knowledgeable garden gurus who can answer your questions to help you be more successful. Wherever you are making your purchase, keep in mind that our 9b hardiness zone is only one factor when you are searching for the best plants for your yard. Your garden may experience a micro-climate different from your neighbors. Always familiarize yourself with the light, soil, and water requirements of your garden.

Intentional use of native plants that have formed symbiotic relationships with native wildlife over millions of years creates the most productive and sustainable wildlife habitat according to the National Wildlife Federation. Entomologist, Dr. Douglas Tallamy, and his team have identified what we call keystone plants, the 14% of native plants that support 90% of butterfly and moth species. Our ecosystems suffer without these keystones. You can search by zip code for necessary natives at www.NWF.org. Our live oak trees alone can host 275 species of caterpillars! Consider scattering seeds of sunflower, aster, fleabane, and lupin. Plant strawberries, trillium, goldenrod, dogwood, roses, and berries as well as fruit trees including apricot, cherry, peach, and plum as hosts to moth and butterfly caterpillars and pollen for bees. When broadcasting seeds either by hand or hydroseeding, don’t cover the seeds or rake them. Do a light compression either with pieces of cardboard, a lawn roller, or even your feet. Yes, the birds and squirrels will consume some of your seeds. Sharing is caring. These seeds require light and air to germinate properly. Seeds that are buried too deeply struggle to access necessary nutrients and may die.

Nature awes me as I walk around my garden. Wildflowers are in glorious abundance. So much is in flower that I don’t know where to point the camera. Western redbud, sour, choke, and sweet cherries, prune, horse chestnut, tulip magnolia, mock orange, and crabapple are just a few of my trees that showcase stand-out blossoms, many intoxicatingly fragrant, and all of them populated with pollinators. My camellia has been repeatedly blooming since December. It was planted as a one-gallon plant several years ago and is now seventeen feet tall and twelve feet wide. When planting anything, make sure you understand how large the plant will be at maturity so that you dig the hole in an area where it will grow and thrive.

My roses, which I heavily pruned in February, are also blooming. Not to be overlooked, forget-me-nots blanket shaded areas while woodland hyacinths, also known as English bluebells and sea foam statice have naturalized in sunny locations dressed to impress the garden in shades of blue and purple. Supporting the butterfly and bird population, the white clusters of viburnum flowers provide nectar for the flitting butterflies while the forming black berries feed the birds. California poppies, calendula, tulips, daffodils, potato vine, anemones, Dutch iris, bearded iris, Calla lilies, periwinkle, a variety of succulents, and masses of weeds carpet my meadow hillside and orchard. I’ll be busy for months to come!

The wisteria is budding and by the time I write my next article, I imagine a glorious gauze of lavender pea flowers cascading over the pergola. When growing wisteria, it is essential to consider the sturdiness of the structure where your vine will twine. Wisteria forms a thick trunk with stems that become woody as they seek climbing support. Arbors, fences, trellises, and even trees become their ladder. To maintain its shape and size, as well as to encourage flowering, wisteria needs regular pruning.

One of my favorite edible wild species that powers on in April is allium triquetrum, wild ramps, also known as the three-cornered leek. Foragers are fond of this delicious triangular onion stem, yet it can be invasive. If you cultivate it, make sure it doesn’t escape. These wild onions closely resemble the lance-shaped leaves of Lily of the Valley which is not an allium and non-edible.  Lily of the Valley is poisonous with white, bell-shaped flowers, whereas the ramps produce umbels of small white flowers. All alliums have a very distinct onion smell. If you think you are gathering ramps but there is no onion smell, do not taste it. Always be certain of what plant you are eating as there are many plants poisonous and toxic to humans that resemble edible ones.

Although it’s early, I’m experimenting with growing tomato seedlings. I started with a couple of plants in March and will continue adding to my plot through June to determine when the best time is to grow this favorite fruit. As you plant your tomatoes, peas, and beans, support them with strong cages or wire. Tomatoes need six to eight hours of sunlight daily and are best spaced two feet apart. They will do well in large containers or pots of fifteen gallons or more.

Our mild weather, warm sunshine, occasional showers, diverse plant species, wildflower displays, lavish blooms, plus the humming, buzzing, singing, crowing, croaking, cawing, and hooting of wildlife make this gorgeous month a time of vitality, color, and renewal as youthful April powers!

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing.

Happy Earth Day! Celebrate Nature!

Read Lamorinda Weekly: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1804/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-April-Powers.html

Nonprofit of the Year: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1804/Moragas-Business-and-Nonprofit-of-the-Year.html

Cynthia Brian amongst the weeds and the blooms of Earth Day!

For more gardening advice for all seasons, check out Growing with the Goddess Gardenerat https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books. Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 which was just honored as the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year by the Moraga Chamber of Commerce. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com. Her newest children’s picture book, Books in the Barnyard: Oh Deer!, from the series, Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures is available AT A DISCOUNT now at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store.

Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures. [email protected]  

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#APRILPOWERS #APRILSHOWERS #WISTERIA #SPRING #GARDEN #TOMATOES #cynthiabrian #goddessgarden #diggingdeep #;lamorindaweekly

[shesabeautifulmess]

Anyone else not get along with an in law?

As I grew, I noticed a very strained relationship between my mother and her in laws, mostly with the sisters and my step-father's daughter. It was very obvious that there was great tension. You could literally cut it with a butterknife (okay - not literally, but you get it). I hated it so much. At times, I felt my mother wanted me to hate them too, but I couldn't. How could I? They hadn't done anything to me and were very welcoming, especially for someone joining their family through marriage. Then, I grew up and got engaged. I have experienced the same type of tension that I felt so many years ago. I dreaded this day would come. I also dreamed of being part of a family that loved each other, would fight for one another, be there when needed and much more. I imagined a family that hung out together constantly, games and laughter, roasting sessions and karaoke. But, this is not the case. Truth be told, I haven't always been the easiest person to deal with. My relationship between my partner and I took a sour turn a bit after we got engaged for many reasons and factors. It didn't make me the happiest person nor him, causing for more lashing out. Because I'm more vocal, mine would be done in front of others. This was a mistake. BIG mistake and my in laws took it upon themselves to hold an "intervention" for my then-fiance about OUR relationship. This was many years ago and I still haven't fully recovered from it. I'd like to say I have, but no. Why you ask? Well, because I respect when people come and talk to me about things, especially if they have something against me. I hate if it has to be the other way around, which happened. I hate that they don't know how to communicate. I hate that there's great tension. I just want us all to be happy and there for one another. It hurts to go to family functions. It's SO anxiety driven, I can't focus.

[mandajiu]

We've seen quite a progression in about 30 episodes of the Li Cu/Wan 姐 blossoming relationship in #TomboftheSea.

It really begs the question of what really constitutes chemistry. For now, I'd like to address the elephant in the room which is the extreme fans in WLKT. Seeing some diehard Wulu fans going off today on the lovely Zhou Yutong makes me really angry. She is a gorgeous lady and lovely actress and only 25 years old - she is just playing a woman in her early 30's.

If you truly trust your real life CP, you wouldn't be threatened by other people working with Wu Lei. PERIOD. Done.

If you are a true CP supporter, then you are loving on both actors equally; promoting ALL of their stuff and attempting to watch it yourself. Now, tbh, after discovering all the crap on Weibo I've been left with a really sour taste for LLtG. I have no excitement whatsover about the new episodes; in fact, I think it will make the deranged members of that fandom even more outrageous. Are all Wulu fam that way - no, but some of these people are making everyone look mighty bad. Attacking darling little WAY too.

Sometimes we see pretty people or people we find attractive and create chemistry around our own hormonal response to muscles and nice faces. We can also see chemistry that comes out of great acting - there doesn't even have to be too much skinship, even hand-holding can be too much for these type of actors. If you dismiss the idea of chemistry between two people, the chances are you won't see it when you watch it either. Don't set up your favorite actor for failure - it's okay to not like something after you've seen the drama, but quite another to just dismiss it altogether. This was done in TLB for the same reasons - people are finding it hard to see WL as a grown ass man, but he is and he made the decision to act in these dramas so let's support him!

Where does the Li Cu/Wan姐 cp fit? I think you have many external factors that create added excitement, the scary could die any moment adventure, the adrenaline of survival, and two very nice-looking people. The height difference is very cute, with Dr. Liang being quite petite and she sells the cuteness factor very well. As always, WL's Li Cu is a good protector - this is a common thread in many of his roles. Although I've not hit the almost kiss with him and the other girl, I definitely can see the growing attraction between them. Is it blow-me-away chemistry? Not yet, but in this story these actors have made me believe they dig one another and I am anticipating more interactions although I'm a bit nervous because Zhang Rishan has shown up. That is a result of good chemistry. When Wu Lei's new drama comes out, I'm sure ZYT and WL are going to sweep us away with the story of these two passionate characters and the chemistry will be felt.

Many C-netizens weren't particularly thrilled with Yang Rong in Tomb of the Sea, we know their feelings on Dilraba which were quite the opposite to me. As for LLtG, I have to agree with Avenue X that the chemistry between LB and SS in that really amazing production is not as strong as it could be - do you really think they love each other? I don't think they know what love is really. When I first watched their shaoshang string scene I felt there was good chemistry, not the greatest, but good enough. It is a very personal thing obviously. Some people thought it was explosive. I thought LB looked really good and I liked the blue outfit and cuteness and ingenuity of SS - and there was the injury that made things a bit more charged. Their first kiss was underwhelming - seriously, out in a courtyard where all can see. What year is this again? Their post-almost drowning scene hug/ mingmen scene was probably the best. The actual kiss was rendered almost pointless because the first kiss had already happened so suddenly, so the anticipatory feeling that creates chemistry just wasn't there for me in that scene. The final kiss - that whole scene was just so contrived it made me really hate the second half. I think a lot of people just like Wu Lei to be with young actresses. I do love age-gap romances, but I also think we have to keep in mind Wu Lei's maturity as an actor. He will be working with older actresses a lot, so just deal with it!

The most powerful chemistry of 2022 for me has been Meng Hua Lu's Liu Yifei and Chen Xiao. Little Orchid and Dongfang Qingcang for sure had that x factor chemistry. Oddly enough, Falling into You's FL with her guy best friend (from LBFAD); honestly, I would ship them in a heartbeat. That's great acting. The guy's big attraction to the FL permeates the air. She doesn't even have to return it for you to FEEL something inexplicable. I think JC and WAY had to work harder for that chemistry and I'm sure they achieved it - I've not had the heart to watch the rest of the drama because the ML is playing his young character on the too young side - but it was just there between she and Wu ze.

So, no you can't say I think you are wrong about chemistry as it is a very personal thing; however, you can re-watch something and find that the internal or external hype at the time is no longer present. The opposite can happen as well. What do you think? Who had the best chemistry for you in 2022?

#ChineseDrama #CPFandom #DramaRant #CP #Chemistry #WuLei #TomboftheSea #沙海

[gatheringbones]

[“On our very first date, which I didn’t really understand was a date until we were making out in my rental car, Ishai made the most exceptional request of me. He said: “Tell me about your constellation of intimate people.”

I had never been asked that before. People had, over the years, frequently asked me “How many people are you involved with, exactly?” based on my relatively public life as a polyamorous person, but they usually turned out to be asking only one of two things. Either they wanted to know if there was any room on my dance card for them, or they wanted to know just how big a slut I really was. Sometimes, both.

Ishai’s request, like a lot of the other early indicators about him, was a breath of fresh air. I loved it because it acknowledged and put (thoughtful and lyrical) words to the thing I constantly wrestled with when people asked me questions about my relationships. Namely, that there were people with whom I was very intimately engaged, and people with whom I sometimes had sex, and people who were both, but that sex did not necessarily equal Important Life Person. In fact, over the course of my adult life, my constellation of intimates has been fairly evenly split between people who are or have been lovers and people with whom I have never gone to bed or even come close. I typically had to go the long way around in explaining this, first stating my values around monogamy, friendship and friend networks, and community enmeshment before eventually—if the poor sucker was still listening—talking about my entanglements and intimacies. I never stopped finding it odd that even the most vocal proponents of non-traditional relationship structures typically listed only their lovers as people with whom they were “in a relationship.” In retrospect, though, the difficulties of language really do impose themselves on that conversation and a lot of these others: we know to say “this is my husband,” and even “this is my husband’s girlfriend,” but whatever’s not culturally valued doesn’t get its own words (which is, in some ways, the theme of this whole collection).

So this new, charmingly phrased, and quite sincerely stated request both startled and soothed me. I found myself talking animatedly about the people of whom I am so fond; my boyfriend Bobby and inimitable femme friend Hanne, my partner-in-crime Turner and my good boy Zev, and Kate, my longest love. He didn’t ask which of them I was getting naked with, and I don’t think I elaborated. I just happily chattered on about how much I liked them and why. Then, when I was finished, I asked the same of him in return. It was a great pleasure (and, I would like to say for the record, was a significant contributing factor to the making-out that shortly followed).

I’m reminded of this conversation every time someone asks me to tell them about my family. This happens to me all the time and for assorted reasons, but most often it’s related to my public work. Frequently, the questioner is fishing a little to see if I have any difficult stories about being queer or trans within my family of origin, since that’s the most common trope of media coverage of trans people: the terrible part. When I start waxing rhapsodic about the wonderful people in whose orbit I happily make my homes, they interrupt me. “No,” they say, looking chagrined. “I, uh ... I meant your real family.” When this happens, I prompt them with the phrase “family of origin,” and they nod and repeat it gratefully, but honestly, I’ve already soured on them. I’m tired of the pity narrative, and I lose patience quickly when it’s all someone can think to ask about.

Sometimes, though, the question-asking comes from the flipside. These folks are often the parents of young trans or gender-independent kids, and they are spiky with fear and anxiety that their children won’t have the kind of life that those of us who are parents envision for our children; ones with gainful employment, a sweetheart, friends. Some constructions of this future are incredibly rigid and some are tender and flexible, but they all seem to feature the same basic components: belonging, being loved, feeling successful. For these people, my long digression on the wonders of my chosen family—both the closest people and also the folks who are family to me even if we’re less often in touch—feel as reassuring to them as they are satisfying to me.”]

s. bear bergman, from blood, marriage, wine, & glitter

#s. bear bergman #trans literature #currently reading #wasteland radio

[baku-writes]

Izuku x reader x Bakugou izuku loves reader and Uraraka and reader is tired of being his second choice and pulls herself out of the equation only to see Katsuki was the person for her and she explores that years later Deku tries to ask her out since Uraraka left him and Katsuki steps in telling him he can’t manipulate her or something like that thank youuu!!

Sure thing!!! Deku might be a lil out of character bc in reality he is such a soft bean but LESSGOOO.

Bakugou x fem!reader, deku x fem!reader, deku x ochako

TW: cheating, angst, a bit spicy at the end

Angst to fluff 🐜💞

REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED!!!💞💞💞

(I think the art was by @mkm_storage on twitter, but I can't completely remember, sorry )<33

He wants her

Summary: during your time at UA you always were second choice to Midoriya, you knew he 'loved' you but he also loved ochako. After a nasty break up bakugo becomes the man you always desired and the man to protect you. Even when izuku comes crawling back....

Deku was one of your first friends at UA, along with Bakugo. He was strong, smart and exceptionally kind. Plus, his motivation to become the number one was always something to be admired.

You saw yourself as average. Your quirk was good, but not enough to be the top of the class. You could pass all the tests, but you weren't the smartest in the class. Even when it come to athletics you could out perform some, but never beat the people at the top. People like midoriya, bakugo and todoroki were unreachable to you.

Suprisingly, you didn't last ot get you down. You worked hard and accomplished things due to it, your goal was to save people. Not make competition between classmates. So instead, you would attempt to help people out. Mainly deku.

That is how you two began dating, one day during a study session in his room he asked you out. And you obviously agreed. He was amazing and so kind.

But something was nagging you at the back of your mind...

Uraraka....

Don't get me wrong, she was lovely. She never hurt you and instead was always there for you. The two of you would hang out and go shopping together, even training together whilst spilling secrets and crushes. You knew she liked him and she knew you liked him too... it was a tricky situation but it would be stupid of you to deny his confession, right?

It was almost 2 years into your relationship, if you could even call it that. Nothing seemed to scream "boyfriend and girlfriend". No hugs, no kisses and no affection. To be honest, many people in your own class didn't know the two of you were even together.

But one if the few that did was Bakugo. He knew how you felt... he could see it written all over your face. You were unhappy and overall anxious about your relationship. Not that you would ever admit that.

He also knew about Uraraka... how you knew about the affection being given to her by YOUR boyfriend, how you tried to keep them distant due to the fear of being replaced. How they kept you distant, but still close enough to be hurt by everything...

----------------

*BAKUGO POV*

'Fucking disgusting' Bakugo thought, he sat in the back of the classroom.

He was 10 minutes early, but Kaminari wouldn't give him peace if he weren't in class. To his surprise Deku arrived early too, looking a little bit anxious and also... expectant?? Was he waiting for someone? It was pretty rare you would get to class early, you were known for sleeping in and arriving late by a couple of minutes...

A few second rolled around and then she entered. The 'best friend' who made you Deku's second choice, without you even fully realising it. But why were they alone.... usually you would be close by, standing in the corner and watching dead-eyed as you wait for your turn of affection. The turn that rarely came unless you threatened to leave.

As if he weren't there, the two started hugging talking and even blushing. Uraraka sat on Deku's desk and giggled at the slightest breath that would escape the nerds mouth. He didn't care about what they were speaking about. Until....

"You know Deku, we should hang out some time? Maybe have a coffee date." A small goggle escaped her mouth as her pink cheeks become more pronounced. Her legs swayed enthusiastically as Deku nodded without a word, his face crimson red and eyes wide.

Did he fucking forget he had a girlfriend? Or is he a scumbag?

Just as he was about to scream bloody murder at deku, he noticed you stood in the door way. Your demeanor uncharacteristically cold and threatening. The room felt heavy as deafening silence replaced the irritating giggles escaping Ochako's mouth....

*Y/N POV*

This was the final fucking straw...

You have been waiting outside your classroom for a minute now and all that can be heard is your 'best friends' giggling and your boyfriends flirtatious talking. You pelaed your head around the corner only to hear

"You know Deku, we should hang out some time? Maybe have a coffee date." And giggles escape the man stealing brunettes mouth.

And what made your blood run cold was his reaction. Fucking nodding. Blushing. Eyes wide. Obviously excited for the date.

You knew you were second choice. You always knew he would put hero work before you, studying before you. And even stronger girls before you. Ever since the two of you started dating that was a prominent factor in your relationship. But you still tried... so hard. You tried so hard to keep the love together, to grasp onto the memories you two had. To keep gluing the shattered pieces of your heart together each time he would push you aside for your own friend...

Sadness quickly turned to anger. You were pissed. Nearly 2 years of NOTHING. Everything was a waste, god why were you so naive. Thinking a boy so wound up in his fantasy would love you like you loved him. Thinking your best friend wouldn't go behind your back just to be with him. Thinking he would decline her even though it was obvious he liked her too.

Hah "too". Could you even say he ever liked you? Or did he pretend he liked you? Maybe he did like you.... but if he did why would he do this? If he didn't like you why would he waste your time?

You were angry and confused. And you have had enough.

That's when you were noticed by bakugo, uraraka and deku. You didn't care if your other close friend Bakugo was there, you could tell by the look on his face that he was going to lose his shit and scream at them. But this was your relationship. You were going to make all hell go lose. And you don't care if others see it. The more humiliating, the better. Just like he humiliated you.

"A date, huh?" Yous started off, calmly. This brought surprise to everyone in the room, you were talking almost as if it was girl gossip and talking about crushes. Like it was an activity you were excited to hear about.

But when you didn't get a response.... your face turned sour.

"Really a fucking date? You seem to be forgetting that I am your girlfriend" you time raised as you walked over to the two traitors. "You know what, fuck that thought. I was your girlfriend. But Hah, NOT ANYMORE!"

"You really think I didn't have the slightest idea what was going on? You think that I am thick enough to think you two would leave each other alone, huh? To not keep my eyes on you? You two are both scumbags. Ones a friend who has knew about my crush on you months before she admitted hers to anyone, and my EX-boyfriend who thought I wouldn't know about being the sidechick. "

Bakugo stared in amazement. He has never seen you so confident before, especially if you've just been hurt.

You took a breather.

"We're done, I refuse to be your second option Midoriya. I've wasted so much time on your ass, and I regret every second of it."

"Y/N wait, please. Clam down, it's alla misunderstanding. I love you both, I just need time to figu-"

"SHUT YOUR TRAP NERD!" Bakugo snapped, ramming his chair backs and standing up, his hands shoved in his pockets as he walked over to you. "She's wasted two years on your ungrateful ass, enjoy your little date shitty nerd."

"Y/N... I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was doi-" tears welled up in ochako eyes....

Guilt tripping, really? Could she not even face her own consequences without crying about it?

"Can it Uraraka. We are done too, I don't want to be friends with a man stealer."

And with that you and Bakugo left the room, leaving the two traitors to their own devices. Hoping they enjoy their little 'date'.

Little did you know, yours and Bakugos friendship would kindle onto something warmer, larger and more loving. After 6 months of being single, he confessed to you and promised to be there for you and never leave your side.

And he stuck with that promise. He never replaced you. He never made you a side chick. He did show affection to you (mostly in privacy where he could be open, but it was still more than Midoriya would ever show).

He made you feel loved, he even studied with you and bumped your grades from B's to A's. And that isn't even brushing on the fact that he made your quirky stronger. Ofcourse the two of you had some issues, like every couple, however he would apologise (it takes him a while, but he actually does apologise) and give you positive affirmations of being enough.

You loved him.

--------------------------------

*TIME SKIP!!!! PRO HERO GALA. Deku isnumber 1 hero, bakugo is number 2 hero and you are number 7 hero!!*

It was a beautiful night, you and bakugo had both moved up a rank. Placing him in the second rank and you in the 7th rank. It was a night to be celebrated, and a night for the two if you to celebrate your anniversary. The two of you had been dating for 5 years now (you were both 22) and still going strong.

Both of you looked amazing; your H/C hair perfectly styled, a small amount of makeup precisely placed onto your face and your crimson dress flowed elegantly down your body.

And let's just say Katsuki was looking fine as hell too; his suit fit tightly against his muscles, rippling and stretching with each moves. He wore a crimson tie, the same colour as your dress, which can unusual for Katsuki due to his odd undying hatred for ties.

His hair was also neatly trimmed into an undercut, a faint scar running along his scar due to a previous villain attack. But some things never change, like the scowl that adorned his face.

The dancing had just finished and pro-heros gathered in groups to chat amongst themselves. However, you had a different thought in mind.

You hadn't eaten all day, the only thing in your digestive system was half a slice of toast that you managed to eat for breakfast. But the food placed along the tables on the far side of the hall looked mouth wateringly good.

"Katsuki, I'm going to go get a bite to eat, okay?"you murmered, planting a soft kiss on his cheek before scurrying over the the food.

You turned around, painting the nicest smile you could muster. The sight of his face boiled your blood as memories of your neglectful relationship crossed your mind.

You began placing the food on your small styrofoam plate until you heard a small familiar voice behind you-

"Hey Y/N, long time no see." Fuck it was Midoriya. A small nervous giggle escaped his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck.

His face still boiled your blood as you remembered the time you wasted in the neglectful relationship. His false act of kindness made your stomach twist in violent anger.

That was until you realised he was alone. Uraraka was no where in sight, you don't even think she turned up to the pro-hero gala. It was probably down to her most recent embarrassment, being caught cheating again on the number one hero with her most recent sidekick.

"Yeah. I see you're the number 1 hero now. You finally got there in the end."

Keep your cool y/n. You have Katsuki now, Deku can't do shit to you anymore.

"Yep, it took a lot. And Kacchan in the number 2 now, huh? That's great!"

The two of you paused. The tension in the air was thick, you could probably cut it with a knife.

"Hey, uhhh, Y/N. I'm really sorry about what happened between the two of us," he hung his head down and stuffed his hands in his pockets, his voice low. " I was wondering if we could start over, maybe get back in touch, ya know? We could start again, get back together. I've reached my goal now, nothings stopping us."

His headshot back up as he looked into your eyes. Your face morphed into one of shock. Did this asshole really just ask if you two could start fresh?

"I know we ended on bad terms Y/N, and I know you are with kacchan right now but I really miss you. I can do so much better for you, I have more money. More land. A higher ranking. I could even boost your ranks."

He paused and you placed the plate of food onto the table, getting ready to possibly smack this bitch.

"I know what Kacchan is like, he is toxic and you don't look happy. Do you not miss me? Remember the time we went on a picnic and you couldn't stop laughing? He can't give that to you. Kacchan can't give anything to yo-"

A firm hand grasped his shoulder and tugged Midoriya far enough back so they could be face to face.

"K-kacchan."

"The fuck are you doing near my girlfriend, Deku?"

A low growl rumbled from Katsuki's throat as he stared down into Midoriya's eyes, his grip tightening.

"I asked a question moron, answer it. "

"I, uhhh. I was g-getting to know them a bit more." Midoriya glanced over to you, as if asking for help, but instead you crossed your arms and shook your head.

"He was trying to get back with me Katsuki, and decided to trash talk you along the way."

The audible gulp that left Midoriya's throat made a low chuckle rumble from within Katsuki.

"I'm going to give you 5 seconds to piss off outta 'ere before I blast your ass. And speak to my girl again and there will be consequences." Katsuki let go of Midoriya (who was now visibly shaken). "Now get lost."

Deku scrambled away, his composure completely lost as some pro-heros starednin confusion, only to go back to talking within their little groups.

"You okay, princess?" Katsuki steadily walked over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist and planting a kiss to your forehead.

"I'll be fine, it was just a surprise that's all." You sighed, letting out the shaky breath and relaxing your tense muscles.

"Let's go home, I'll give you a better night to remember."

A smirk made it's way onto your boyfriends lips as one hand squeezed your ass.

-------------------------------------

I am back from my break!! Sorry this took a while, I was dealing with my mental health but it's finally finished!! I hope it is what you wanted. 💞💞

#bakugou katsuki smut #bnha #bnha manga #mha #my hero academia imagines #bakugo katsuki #bakugou katsuki #bnha bakugo katsuki #bnha bakugou #boku no academia #boku no hero art #bakugo x reader smut #bakugo smut #bakugo x reader #bakugou #katsukibakugou #katsuki bakugo fanart #katsuki bakugou x reader #bakugou x reader smut #bakugou x reader #bakugou smut #bakugo #bakugo katsuki smut #dynamight #deku midoriya #deku x reader #izuku midoria x reader #midoriya x reader #midoriya headcanons #mha izuku

[stovetuna]

CW: character death and Tony lack of self esteem and self preservation. Ignore if not ur jam

(¬_¬) psssttt angst time. post-Endgame Steve accidentally ending up in 616 and meets that Steve and Tony. And after failing to wrestling ANY info about why this Steve is here, 616-Tony figures out other him is dead and this Steve is taking it badly and this has Tony trying to make MCU-Steve feel better by saying something like well that me probably deserved it??? All us Tonys do (This does not make MCU feel better. Nor does it make 616-Steve very happy)

ANON MY HEART! IT CANNOT TAKE THIS! (she says as she mulls over this prompt for DAYS and even snaps out of half-sleep to write a little bit of it)...

but like, imagine it. Somehow or other Steve ends up in 616!universe—a spell of Dr. Strange’s gone awry, maybe, or a clusterfuck while returning the time stone—and he’s ended up in 616!Tony’s workshop. It’s late, he’s confused and disoriented and grieving, and he’s already making for the ratty sofa (thinking fixing this is a problem for future steve) when he realizes there’s already someone stretched out on it.

not someone. someones. together. wrapped around each other like koalas on a branch. one of them is Tony—no amount of darkness can smother that blue light, or so Steve once thought—and his heart is breaking all over again, when the person wrapped around him, partially hidden behind Tony’s shoulder, raises his head, eyes alert, and Steve realizes it’s him. Himself. Steve Rogers, from another dimension. Universe. Tony would know which. 

Rogers snaps to attention and is standing and interrogating Steve and he manages to not wake Tony up the whole time. This Tony sleeps like a rock, or maybe that’s just because of Rogers, and Steve is spiraling over the fact that maybe that’s all it would have taken to make things right—better—in his own universe. He could have been brave, he could have been strong enough for both of them to walk up to Tony and ask him out, kiss him, something. Instead he lied, and hid, and ran. He’s still running. Meanwhile this taller, broader, stronger version of him chose happiness, because what else could life with Tony Stark be? 

Rogers is grilling him in the semi-darkness, asking questions Steve isn’t sure he’s allowed to answer (the rules of the time heist are still fresh in his mind), but the questioning stops when Steve starts crying and asks him how long they’ve been together. If it was enough to stop their fight, and everything that happened after.

Rogers tells him they were too late to stop the Civil War, but they pulled their heads out of their asses eventually. When Steve mentions Thanos, Rogers’ face flashes recognition but not the same level of grief Steve feels like a railroad spike lodged in his heart. Whatever else has happened in this universe, Thanos hasn’t, and this Steve and Tony are together. Steve can’t stop thinking this is all just a cruel nightmare disguised as a tear in the fabric of the universe. 

And then the lights come on at a dim 30%, revealing a Tony Stark who is whole and alive and very, very different from the man Steve knew. While Steve stands there poleaxed in crisis mode (Stark mentions “blue screening” which is a reference Steve does get and he hurts all the more deeply because of it), Rogers fills Stark in on what he knows about Steve, when he showed up, what they’ve talked about. When Rogers mentions Steve’s question about their relationship, something brightens in Stark’s blue eyes.

“Your universe’s Tony Stark is dead, isn’t he?”

Steve makes a sound that is something between a sob and a laugh. Of course Stark would figure it out with the least amount of information at hand. In response, Rogers grabs Stark’s hand. He’s gone deathly pale, as if the very thought of losing Tony is too terrible to imagine, and he shares a look with Stark that speaks volumes, because Stark looks just as grim. Something happened there, Steve thinks—one or the other of them died, or came close enough to put the fear of it in them for life. 

And then Stark opens his mouth and says “If your universe’s Tony Stark was anything like me, and categorically speaking he probably was, he probably deserved it.”

Steve’s gut plummets because Jesus Christ, does Tony Stark not have any sense of self-worth, in any universe?? Apparently he and Rogers are the same wavelength—shocker—because he rounds on Stark with “Tony, we’ve talked about this” while Stark waves him off with a scoff. 

“This isn’t low self-esteem talking, Steve—you know my track record when it comes to near death experiences. How many would you say have been the inevitable result of my own actions?” 

Rogers’s face flattens. His lips and eyes narrow. “Too many.”

“Right. So am I right, or am I right?” Stark asks Steve, but Steve’s tongue has cleaved to the roof of his mouth. Of course, Tony Stark was always able to talk enough for three people, even if two of them were, technically, the same person. “He probably went down thinking he was the only one who could fix whatever was broken, walked right into a coffin he made himself, literally if not figuratively.” 

Steve swallows. “Actually,” he says, thinking of the gauntlet fused to Tony’s armor, which had fused to his arm, “it was something like that.” 

Steve’s eyes laser in on their joined hands, tearing up when he sees Stark squeeze Rogers’s fingers. A small touch of reassurance, stabilizing and loving, to remind Rogers he was still here. Still breathing. Still alive. The look Rogers sends Stark is so warm, so full of things Steve doesn’t have the strength to name, it threatens to shove him deeper into an already devastating downward spiral. 

So of course Stark chooses that moment to look at Steve and be his usual smart self, because some things are truly universal, and Tony Stark’s intelligence and ability to read people is one of them. 

“You never told him?” 

Steve shakes his head. Rogers makes a small, hapless sound, like the thought of never telling Tony Stark his feelings, being with him, is too sad to consider. It is—Steve can honestly say it is, and of the two of them, Steve is the only one who has to live with the consequences of the choice he made (and made, over and over again) for the rest of his life.

Whatever nonverbal communication passes between the two men, Steve doesn’t see it. He’s too busy staring through blurry eyes at the floor of the workshop, wishing this nightmare would end so he could go back to his own universe and not have to be confronted with the life he wishes he could have had with a man who was now dead. 

He’s so wrapped up in his own misery, he doesn’t register movement until two socked feet stop in front of his shoes and he looks up to see Stark standing there, eyebrows knitted in concern and wonder and, worst of all, understanding. Like he’s been where Steve is, lost and bereft, irreparably heartbroken. Did this Tony lose his Steve? How? Rogers is standing right there. But Steve has seen Stark’s expression in his own mirrored reflection every morning for the past year, and while he was never on par with Tony Stark’s genius, he could read people too. Stark knows this kind of loss as deeply as Steve does now.

“We’ll get you home first thing,” Stark tells him, but it sounds like a line to quell Steve’s nerves, which it does, and a good thing too, because Stark is moving into Steve’s personal space as he says it, breathing his air and meeting his gaze straight on. “Nod if you understand?” 

Of course Stark would be considerate of Steve’s inability to speak when they’re this close. Steve nods. 

“Can I give you something, Steve? If I know myself—and I do, really, even if my judgement isn’t always perfectly sound—your Tony would have wanted to give it to you himself. But life wasn’t fair to either of you, I think. Not that it ever is, but, I’d like to correct the imbalance in some small way. Is that okay?”

Steve nods before he realizes he’s doing it, like his body knows what’s coming before his brain does and he’s helpless to resist. 

Logically, Steve knows this isn’t his Tony. Not because his Tony is dead—although that does play a major factor—but because this one is so unlike him. This Tony, Stark—he’s too tall, Steve’s mind supplies, too young, too broad; his hair is too dark and his eyes are too blue. 

But Steve Rogers would recognize Tony Stark anywhere, in any dimension. In any universe. And if it means getting to give Tony everything he was too scared to offer him in life, even for a second—let alone getting some of it back—then so much the better. 

Stark pulls him in for a kiss like it’s second nature to him. Muscle memory. But to Steve, it’s a shock to the system. Every hair on his body is standing on end. He gasps against Stark’s lips and suddenly fingers are buried in his hair, tugging him closer before he can stop and ask them if this is okay, if they know what this means to Steve, if he can actually have this. 

A sob sticks in his throat as he finally musters the wherewithal to kiss back. Stark takes it handily, licking a hot, wet line across Steve’s bottom lip before Steve slants left and kisses him hard and deep, wrapping his arms around the similar-yet-unfamiliar frame.   Kissing Stark, Steve realizes, makes him happy, in a profoundly genuine, comforting way he hasn’t felt in years, and the only way to express it is to wrap a hand around the back of Stark’s neck, just below the nape, and suck the moan right out of his mouth. Even if that happiness is soured by his implacable grief, he can shove that into the back of his mind long enough to luxuriate in the feeling of Stark’s tongue brushing against his soft palate, those hard, scarred workman’s hands sliding up under his shirt to splay soft across his lower back. He feels safe, and happy, and loved. 

And if he imagines his Tony in Stark’s place, no one has to know. And if they did, Steve doesn’t think either of them would judge him for it. His instinct is confirmed when Steve pulls away long enough—breathing hard, just like Stark, who looks for all the world like someone who just fell off a Tilt-a-Whirl ass-backwards—to look over Stark’s shoulder at Rogers, who’s staring hungrily at both of them like he doesn’t know whether to pounce or stay put. The tent in his sweatpants speaks for itself. 

Before Steve can piece two coherent thoughts together—like does he feel weird about an alternative universe version of himself being turned on by this? or does he need to stop kissing Stark before this gets out of hand? how is he supposed to get home? how is he supposed to live without this now that he’s had a taste of it?—Stark is pulling him back in for a kiss that tunes out all the noise and warms him through, tucked in the safe, quiet, happy circle of Stark’s arms.

Steve holds the man and the moment as close as he can, as long as he can, and he’s grateful, for the first time in his life after coming out of the ice, for the silence. 

#stevetony #steve rogers #tony stark #616 stevetony #MCU steve rogers #rachel writes fic #stevetony fic #stony fic #superhusbands fic #fic rec #superhusbands #I'M SAD BUT ALSO HOT UNDER THE COLLAR NOW THANK U ANON

[grizzee11]

Sharpwin Overload

Ya'll I'm tired as hell! I can't tell you how many times I've watched the scenes between sharpwin from 3x12. Its been watched over and over to the point my eyeballs hurt 😫 BUT I keep getting new details I've missed or am simply obsessed about. From Max calling Helen's name when he woke up, trying to decipher if he said "I love you" in the shower, analyzing every touch between them, Max holding her while caressing her body close to his, if Reynolds would get a reaction seeing the intimacy between Max/Helen (he had to of seen it), and wondering how they will unfold on the next episode.

This has to be THE most enduring, heartfelt, romantic, electric soul binding relationship I've ever seen on TV and Max/Helen haven't even kissed, had sex, nor are a couple yet! Their chemistry is off the charts and I'm so thankful that the creater/writers saw the potential in Ryan/Freema to go with it (and look how amazing its turned out). Other shows need to take notes; instead of being scared with how two actors' chemistry might affect their story, just go with the flow. Its too rare to have this type of on-screen chemistry between two people.

I can't tell you how much I hated Person of Interest and the way they did Joss Carter because they didn't like the direction the relationship was going with the main character Reese. The writers on the show loved writing them together and even the CEO of CBS wanted them to have more scenes barely into the beginning of season 1. That's how magical they were and instead of going with the magic, the creator literally sunk his show and got everyone pissed off by killing her off. The CEO of CBS even threw him under the bus for trying to fix something that wasn't broken. Taraji who played Joss Carter had to do a whole PR damage control to explain why she left but on good graces which was bull; they wanted her gone. Thank God Jim Caviezel impromptu their kissing scene on the last episode because he knew their characters were supposed to be together.

Sorry for ranting but that show really pissed me off and left a sour taste in my mouth. It was the first show I loved to the max and I wanted it to be cancelled for the way they treated Joss/Taraji and I'm glad they did get cancelled and she went off to Empire and became a bigger star while that show tanked (Karma is a bitch!!!). Shows like that along with others like Sleepy Hollow happens in a reoccurance for no reason to where its hard to root for a ship if a black woman is factored into the equation who happens to have chemistry with the main lead. Luckily New Amsterdam is doing it right (even if they've dragged it a bit too long) and look how rewarding its become. I don't think this show would be as great as it is had Max stayed with his wife and never having scenes with Helen. The show has a great concept revolving around the hospital but shapwin just makes it a whole lot better!

P.S- Can you imagine once they do become a couple?! Cuddling in bed, love scenes, kisses 😘, hugging, holding hands, dinner night, pregnancy (Helen still wants a child y'all), Helen being a mother to Luna, balancing work life with family time, sexual gazes, oh and let's not forget office sex after a silly arguement lol.

I can't wait to see the next episode! Will they kiss on the rooftop or do more after his custody meeting back at his/her place once everything is resolved 🤔? I have a feeling they are going to make love either on the 13th or 14th episode to give us everything. That will eclipse any kiss (hell the shower scene felt better than any kiss I was anticipating) and Reynolds might take over as Deputy Director so Max can have more time with Luna (to shut his in-laws up)and for Helen. And to he honest its the right choice because he is struggling with his work schedule and being a single father. My predictions have been wayyy off since this season but overall we've come a long way with sharpwin's journey and I'm savoring every little morsel I can... on repeat if necessary lmao 🤣

#sharpwin #weve waited so long #cant wait #new amsterdam #max x helen #max goodwin #helen sharpe #can't beat chemistry

[aye-write]

An aye-write Guide to Writing About Food!

Let’s get one thing straight. I love food. I love eating it, I love reading about it, and I especially like writing about it. Food is a massively useful tool you can utilise in your writing - whether it’s for description, plot points, or in a symbolic/allegorical sense - and it can really help ground a reader and get them invested in your characters and your world. 

I’m sure we all have some positive food memories from our favourite childhood books! The Turkish Delight from The Chronicles of Narnia, the huge feasts from the Harry Potters, literally everything from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But other than adding flavour - if you’ll pardon the pun - to your work, why should we bother adding references to food at all? 

Here’s a few:

Sense of reality

Humanises characters (most things need to eat!)

Character development

Reveal backstories

Illuminate relationships between characters

Bringing characters together (around a table, peace offering, as thanks) 

Can capture an era of history 

Gives a good sense of character’s health/mental state/personality 

Metaphorical (Please sir, I want some more - Oliver Twist)

Evoke characters’ memories 

.-.-.  

Food As Symbolism

Using food as symbolism is a particular favourite thing to do in my own writing, but to use a much more well known example, let’s look at Edmund and the Turkish Delight from The Chronicles of Narnia. The sweet is described as being “sweet and light to the very centre”. Many think the sweet was bewitched so that Edmund would want to eat it forever, thereby getting him to agree to anything The White Witch wanted in exchange for more. So it’s a symbol for Edmund’s mistakes and how his desires are so strong that he is willing to hurt others to fulfil them. The fact that the Turkish Delight leaves Edmund feeling sick afterwards is also indicative of his feelings. In the same way you may feel regretful after eating something too sweet, Edmund also regrets his decision to endanger his family.

Where else does food serve as a symbol? It becomes a symbol of resistance and wanting more when Oliver Twist asks for more gruel in the infamous scene in the Charles Dickens novel. The thin gruel personifies the extreme poverty and the horrible reality for those in the workhouse.

And Irish novel Angela’s Ashes has a scene in which Young Frank fawns over the possibility of getting an egg to eat after his father’s wages come in. Eggs were a rare luxury for a poor Irish-Catholic family at the time, and the fact that Frank ultimately does not get his egg (as his father squanders his wages) represents their dire financial situation, hopeless future, and lower social class.

.-.-.

How Can Food Show Help Us Develop Our Characters? 

A character’s choice of food will be influenced by many factors, including but not limited to, geographical, climatic, historical, religious, cultural, political as well as personal taste, fashion, economic status, society and familial influence.

A poor person will eat very differently from a rich person. Someone watching their figure will be more conscious of their food choices. Someone from a multicultural family will have been exposed to different cooking techniques and dishes and may have a wider frame of reference. Someone who is gluten intolerant, dairy-free, vegetarian, etc. will also be very careful about what they consume.

A great exercise I like to do if I’m struggling to learn about my characters is to make them a meal plan! Setting out a character’s food choices and food preferences might help you unlock some new information about them or help you deepen your understanding of them.

For example, look at these examples of meal plans. 

Breakfast: Weetabix, skimmed milk, red berries. Lunch: Baked potato with small amount of low-fat cheese and side salad. Dinner: Gnocchi and tomato bake (small portion). Dessert: Small pot low fat strawberry yoghurt. Snacks: Apple and cinnamon cookie. Bag of pre-cut apples.

Breakfast: None. Lunch: Microwaved meal. Dinner: Breaded chicken and fries. Dessert: None. Snacks: Peppermint chocolate. Blueberry muffin. Salted potato chips/crisps (two bags). Small bag of Skittles (sour).

Straight away you can start piecing together your impressions of these characters just from their food choices and without knowing anything about the kind of person they are! 

.-.-.

My Food Worldbuilding and Character Questions 

If you’re worldbuilding, food is going to be a pretty important aspect of your characters lives and the way of life in general for your world. Here are some questions I use when I’m considering how food impacts the characters and the world that I’m trying to create. 

Do your characters eat and drink? If so, how important is it to your plot?

Is food generally safe or dangerous? 

Do your characters have allergies? 

Are there rituals/rules around consuming food/drink? 

Is food and drink a thing of joy or a thing of necessity?

Are there any festivals/cultural traditions around food?

What does food reveal about the culture, relationships, and status of your character and their family/friends?

What food or drink is in your characters’ homes?

What is your character’s relationship with food?

What important memories does your character associate with cooking/food/eating?

#writing advice #writing tips #writing help #writing about food #writing #writers #writer advice #writeblr

[qqueenofhades]

Do you have an estimation how much racism or xenophobia Yusuf would have encountered traveling with Nicolo across Europe up to the modern ages? This is a very vague ask, forgive me. I wonder how much the concept of racism has changed over time. I have the vague impression that pre-modern European societies were always more diverse than one might assume nowadays, but I have little factual historic knowledge. I also wonder how much xenophobia Nicolo would have encountered.

And you would be correct! Because the “medieval ages were all lily-white and anyone placing POC in them is Wrong” is yet again, surprise surprise, another total lie that is a product of right-wing reactionary revisionism and not based on actual historical evidence. A couple years ago, I wrote a very lengthy post about historical people of color in Europe, starting from the Roman era and going down to about the 19th century (everything prior to the 20th century, basically). Obviously, it only discussed each example briefly, but there’s definitely more than enough there to debunk any idea that medieval Europe was monochromatically white. Iberia, Sicily, and other “crossroad” kingdoms had the most visibly and long-term settled diverse populations, but major cities such as London were ethnically diverse from their founding (which if you know anything about the Romans, truly, is obvious). There is extensive evidence for Africans and Muslims traveling to, if perhaps not settling in, early medieval Ireland and Britain (though sometimes they did do this, as there is a record of at least one African abbot of an English religious house). I also have this list of readings on the golden age of medieval Africa, including the richest king of all time and the various powerful empires that existed particularly in West Africa.

As noted in the Historical People of Color post, the crusades themselves, despite their obvious violence and bloodshed, were vehicles for cross-cultural exchange, which resulted in both Islamic ideas traveling to the west and western ideas traveling to the Islamic world. Medieval Christians were fascinated by “Saracens” as much as they were frightened by them, and there was a flourishing genre of “Saracen romances,” such as Parzival (one of the most popular romances of German medieval literature,which features the half-Muslim hero Feirefiz) and The King of Tars. These romances obviously display complicated attitudes about race and religion; the Saracen heroes are usually depicted as having to forsake their mistaken beliefs (usually some jumbled combination of paganistic polytheism rather than actual Islam) to complete their moral and emotional journey, and in King of Tars specifically, that results in an actual physical transformation for the Muslim sultan, the Christian princess’ husband, from black-skinned to white-skinned as a symbol of his newly gained virtue. Obviously there is an element of colorism at play; I wouldn’t call it racism because racism as a scientific term and “biological” concept was invented in the 19th century when, yet again, the West was busy concocting “impartial” reasons for its colonialism and “civilization” of supposedly inferior people. In the Saracen romances, however, the Saracen characters are not unsympathetic (if misguided), and the star-crossed lovers trope between Christian princesses and gallant Muslim warriors is played pretty much as you would expect it to go (with the implication that we’re supposed to root for him converting to Christianity so they can be together). As long as religious identity is correct, skin color doesn’t really matter or is at least less important, is viewed as mutable and changeable, and not the only marker of a person’s identity.

So in that sense, Yusuf and Nicolo would not be unfamiliar as characters in their very own star-crossed Saracen romance, and since we’ve already discussed the bonds between knights and how deeply romantic and emotional friendships were often the case even between men who WEREN’T lovers, it’s entirely possible that people would have understood them in that context. It also depends on how much time they spent in medieval Europe (as in DVLA, I have them traveling across the Eastern world for several hundred years after the crusades and not getting back to Europe until the Renaissance, when ideas and attitudes toward race and religion were once more undergoing huge transformation). Obviously, yes, there would be an element of xenophobia throughout history, and England (aha, hello Ancestors of Brexit) has in fact pretty much always been known for hating foreigners. But these weren’t necessarily foreigners of color; white Europeans from France, Italy, the Low Countries, Flanders, Bohemia, etc could all be viewed suspiciously by the English, especially post-Henry VIII and the religious break from Rome. (But this was, again, also the case before that happened, because apparently the English just suck like that.) This plays into the fact that as has been pointed out before, racism in Europe is cultured along very different lines from how it is in America, and takes into account geographical, cultural, religious, and other factors, as well as simply skin color. (Though colorism is usually also unfortunately part of it pretty much everywhere, since the ideal medieval woman was often thought to be blonde and blue-eyed, and fair coloring has always been positively correlated with morality -- just look at “Dark Magic” and “Black Magic” and all those other fantasy tropes of the villain being Dark.)

So basically, Yusuf and Nicolo would probably have been equally mistrusted in, say, 16th-century England (such as when they go there in the attempt to rescue Andy and Quynh in DVLA). They’re sodomites, for a start (this is right about when male homosexuality starts to enter the books as a capital crime), and Nicolo is Italian and therefore deeply suspicious as a possible papal agent. Yusuf might have actually made out better in that case, because Elizabethan England had fairly friendly diplomatic relations with the Ottoman and Persian empires (this is written about in the Historical People of Color post) and there was even an idea of Protestant England and Muslim North Africa allying together to attack their mutual enemy, Catholic Spain. Othello is obviously a product of this cultural context, with its dashing but doomed and tragic Moorish captain (see once again: the character himself is not unsympathetic, and is misled by the evil Iago). So many Elizabethan Englishmen settled in Muslim societies that there were attempted royal incentives to lure them back, and Yusuf would probably have been an exotic curiosity more than an existential danger. (As noted, they would almost certainly hate Nicolo more.)

In places such as Constantinople, where I had them live for a while in chapter 4, Nicolo would also be the more obviously mistrusted party. In a Greek Orthodox city that had substantial and long-term populations of Muslims and Jews, a Latin Catholic would be more the Enemy, because... well, sometimes we hate the people who are almost like us more than we hate the people who are obviously very different and therefore cannot be compared. Emperor Alexios Komnenos of Byzantium helped launch the First Crusade, at least in part in hopes of getting formerly Byzantine lands back from the Turks, but very quickly realized that he couldn’t control the crusaders and things went sour long before the trauma of 1204 and the sack of Constantinople; relations between Latin and Greek Christians had been at the brink of outright hostility for most of the crusades (though of course hostility was not the only experience between them). The Byzantine emperors were used to diplomacy and negotiation and trade agreements with their counterparts in the Islamic world, all of which was viewed as “consorting with the enemy” by the West. Besides, the Great Schism in 1054 had already broken the Western and Eastern churches apart after centuries of bitter theological disputes (these arguments may look like the most mind-bogglingly boring and tiny and insignificant details ever, but the battle over defining heresy and orthodoxy RAGED almost from the founding of Christianity in the first century). Edited to add further discussion on the nuances and complexities of the Eastern-Western Christian relationship.

So yes. As ever, the reception that they would have encountered is complicated, and it would not be immediately analogous to modern racism and Islamophobia. It would also be intensely mediated by their cultural, chronological, and geographic location, where sometimes Nicolo would (paradoxically) be MORE mistrusted by other white Christian Europeans. Not to say that Yusuf wouldn’t have encountered prejudice too, because he would, but not quite in the same ways as he would now, or that we would expect.

Thanks for the question!

#history #medieval history #history of racism #joe x nicky #sunrise-on-callisto #ask #the old guard meta

[silence-burns]

Please Hate Me //part 48

Fandom: Marvel

Summary: Based on: “Imagine having a love/hate relationship with Loki.” by @thefandomimagine​ Who would have thought that babysitting a god could be so much fun?

Genre: slow-burn, enemies to lovers, banter, smut

Being the friendly neighborhood Spiderman always gave Peter a sense of pride and purpose, even if he could only share it openly with a few people. It was the kind of accomplishment that made all the hardships seem worth it in the end. It also made him happy in a way he couldn't really explain, but which involved a certain connection between him and the people he protected and got familiar with over the course of his superhero patrols.

But being the friendly neighborhood Spiderman was difficult in a neighborhood where no one was actually friendly in return.

Peter’s frown grew the further into the building he went. He was pretty sure it was the same one Loki and you had been renting an apartment in, and since he was a rather frequent guest, the neighbours should recognize him by now enough to at least return his greetings. 

That was what logic dictated, but Peter was pretty certain the people he met in the hallway only gave him a stern, disapproving look before walking past him quickly.

Peter was still frowning when he moved up the stairs, juggling the keys in his hand. Then he stopped. The unearthly screams of the damned were muffled, but most definitely coming from apartment number 13. 

Opening the door quietly, he slid into the familiar interior, now echoing with pain and suffering so loud, Peter had to cover his ears just enough to move to the root of all evil  - the bathroom. 

There were many inexplicable things Peter had witnessed happening in the apartment 13, and to some extent he got used to the thrill of not knowing what he'd face next time he paid a visit. Still, he hadn't expected to see various parts of a half-drowned owl sticking out of the sink filled thick with foam and bubbles. The owl must've struggled a lot, judging by the amount of water splashed on every possible surface, and the iron grip you and Loki still kept on the bird. Even if Loki was not wearing his usual features, it was still obvious who your partner in crime was.

The two of you froze. Soap and foam dripped to the floor. Loki's new form shimmered with a glamour only magic could achieve.

"Um, what are you guys doing?" Peter asked.

"Trying a new disguise?" The curtain of Loki's new long hair was luscious and utterly drenched. 

"No, I meant-"

"Listen, boy, as surprising as it might be for you, I'm still me, just with a less… criminally wanted image."

"Yeah, only if 'ME' stands for mischief embodied," you laughed.

"It literally doesn't. It's smooth, but it doesn't."

"Thank you, love. Now, could you please stop drowning poor Barbara?"

Loki sighed, but relaxed his grip on the bird just enough to allow it to peak its head out from under the surface and take a deep, long breath. 

Peter put his backpack down and meandered closer, dodging the growing puddles. "Why is there an owl in the sink?"

"Because I'm not allowing any fleas into my house," you firmly stated, pushing the wings back under the water. "And I don't care how many hours we'll spend here, I'm getting all the mud and dirt out."

Barbara clung to her dirt with all her might, but was overpowered and utterly misunderstood. Loki's new form was slimmer, but held the bird with his usual strength and a big dose of satisfaction. The smirk on his face was unchanged, even if the features were new.

"What do you need a disguise for anyway?" Peter asked, looking for a towel. "Can I go with you?"

"I'm afraid that as wildly chaotic and lawless as our destination is, you'd still be age-checked," Loki cooled his enthusiasm.

Barbara rushed to the towel and clung to it, loudly exclaiming what, precisely, she thought about her caretakers. Peter tried to dry her up as best as he could through her wriggling and screams. 

"Are you sure all this soap is good for her? Did you use any animal-friendly shampoo?"

Loki shrugged. "I doubt she can get any more dead."

The boy looked at the owl. The owl looked at the boy. The ruffled and drenched feathers were sticking out in all directions, uncovering a deep and no doubt fatal hole in her side. 

"You got a dead owl…?"

"It was not my idea," Loki groaned, casting the bird a disgusted stare in the mirror where he tried to change the shape of his eyebrows. 

"You're just angry because she likes me more," you laughed while mopping the floor.

Peter did his best to become invisible and not stare too openly at the ribs poking out of the feathers. Barbara puffed them every time he moved the towel around. The boy couldn't speak owlish, but the small, crittering noises she made were definitely far from happy.

"Where will you be going?" Peter asked. The owl sat on his knees and refused to move even after he finished drying her on the couch.

"To the largest casino on the Moon."

"Wait- There are casinos up there?"

"Not for kids your age," Loki said.

Peter slumped on the couch. "That's not fair."

"We'll be back before you notice." You threw the wet rag to the sink. "Of course, as long as a certain someone FINALLY decides what to wear."

Loki ignored your pointed look, too busy with changing his hair color. No matter how many little details he changed, he still struggled with finding a form he was sure would allow him to pass through the guards unnoticed and unrecognized. It was a shame he couldn't use his own - it felt like a waste to hide a face like his. 

The owl settled on Peter's shoulder, immobilizing him with the claws buried in his skin. But even from the couch, the boy could see the remnants of a hurricane that had thrown a rather alarming amount of clothes around the apartment.

"I thought these were yours," he admitted. The owl kept on looking through his hair with the utmost scrutiny and very little gentleness.

"I've settled long ago on what I'm going to wear. As for the diva himself, though…" you gestured around.

"I need it to be perfect," Loki said. "I have an important role to play, I can't just waltz in there and be recognized."

"You could go blond," Peter suggested.

"Ew, I don't want to look anything like my brother- Wait, that's actually a great idea."

Before any of you managed to protest, a full-grown Thor stood in Loki's place, watching himself from all angles in the mirror. The clothes no longer fit, so he dropped them and dove into the closet again.

"...what have I done?"

You patted Peter's free shoulder. Barbara nested in the crook of his neck. "Nothing they can prove. Hopefully."

*

"I am not my father's servant," not-Thor downed another beer. "And if I want to relax for just one evening, I shall!"

The tankard broke into tiny pieces as he smashed it on the ground. The loud applause and waves of laughter followed the very Thor-like outburst, making Loki relieved he was playing his role well. Even in a place like this, crowded with drunkards and gamblers from all over the universe, it was common knowledge what the god of thunder enjoyed.

Loki forced his glamoured face to remain cheerful as another tankard of beer had been brought to him, disgustingly sour and rough. He knew his brother well, and was sure he'd love it, but Loki himself would rather bite off his tongue than willingly digest any more if only he had an actual choice. He didn't, and therefore swallowed another gulp to the cheering from the crowds gathered at his table. The cards had been laid out, waiting for the victors to celebrate their success, and the rest to decide how much more money they were willing to lose to the god of thunder.

Seated in a great hall of marble and gold, Loki wished he could play the way he actually wanted to, which was the very same way that got him banned from the Moon last time he had visited. But for the sake of the mission, he stayed just above the line between bankrupting and winning money, which added to the body he was wearing, was just big enough temptation to keep his table busy.

Everyone entering the biggest casino on the Moon was inclined to try their luck, or at least take a quick look. It was a perfect, if rather boring, way of scanning everyone who entered the rich complex of buildings. The few fountains set further in the back murmured as they shot curtains of water. The air was thick and warm, making crowds of people inevitably gravitate towards them in search of any cold. With the tall, lush plants artistically winding over and between the pillars, it created little areas dotting the impossibly high hall, where the pleasant breeze gathered the people looking for just a moment of relief. You occupied a spot beneath the fountains, where most people would wind up going to at some point, and used it as a second checkpoint, just in case anyone missed Loki's, or rather his brother's table.

"Come on, does anyone else want to lose their fingers?" Loki heard you call out to the crowds.

Between their never ending sessions of losing and winning the money back just to lose them again, there were many individuals in need of a drink and a quick break from the gambling. How easy it was to grab their attention with a loud voice and a dead owl.

Loki stretched his neck and looked over to where you had sat down the bird with all kinds of currency piled between its claws and a single coin shining through the open ribcage. 

"All you need is to get the coin out, what's the matter, people? Is there no one brave enough to win all this money?"

Greed has always been a major deciding factor for the living beings regardless of race and the world of origin. The queue only rose in length as everyone wanted to try their luck. 

The table under Barbara grew more and more slick with blood from cut and bitten fingers. Pure malice shone in her dead eyes.

"What an awful creature," Loki muttered to himself. 

He could sense the stolen pin somewhere in the vicinity, but the casino was a loud and chaotic place, with multiple areas each centered around a different type of entertainment. More than an hour had already passed, but whoever was currently holding onto the pin, had not yet ventured anywhere near.

The two of you were slowly but inevitably running out of time. Odin might've been old and naive, but his spies' eyes reached far and wide. Loki had little doubt he would be interested in his favourite son's apparent evening fun, especially if he had that particular son with him, in the palace. Thor was a good cover, but not for much longer.

And then, by chance or a generous turn of fate, the shadows stirred and whispered. 

Loki cast the dice, not paying attention whether he'd won or lost. His money wasn't real anyway.

There - by the high palms stood the Hoarders, clad in the worn out rags and way too much jewelry. With their grey skin and long limbs, it was no wonder how easily they blended in with the shadows, using their skills to warp their surroundings and get in places others would consider highly secure. But their success was not measured in how many places they were capable of breaking in themselves, but rather how many individuals of all races they could easily befriend and bend to their will. Although, to be quite honest, Loki doubted the necromancer had needed much convincing. 

There were only three of them, each almost an identical copy of the others, but the Hoarders were encircled by both their partners for the evening and whatever scum tried to befriend them. That made it so much harder to approach them, but Loki was already thinking of a good excuse when he rose from his seat. People parted, giving him space - much more that would be granted to Loki's original form. 

The shadows whispered again. One of the ladies separated from the group, with an annoyed expression on her face.

Loki stretched, making sure to put his hands high. Once he caught your attention, he followed the lady at a leisurely pace.

"What do we do?" You asked once both of you entered the corridor and disappeared behind the corner. 

"She's got the pin."

One more turn took you in front of the ladies restroom. 

"Time for Plan C.” Loki began undressing quickly.

Holding a spare dress in your bottomless pocket was not the wisest choice, but it apparently paid off, even if fishing it out took you a moment. Your hands shook. Someone might have walked in on you at any time. While Loki would be doing whatever it took to get the pin back, you would be the one making sure no one interrupted him…

Like distracting the waiter that was now staring at both of you. Focused on the contents of your pocket, you hadn’t even noticed him approaching. Loki clad in only Thor's skin, blinked. 

The waiter turned on his heel and disappeared.

"I can already feel the gossip stirring," Loki shifted into a more feminine body, quickly putting on the dress. "They are going to eat my brother alive."

"Do you feel bad about it?"

"Oh, my heart is breaking into a million pieces," Loki assured you with a smile far too wide for that to be true. 

He kissed you quickly before disappearing into the restroom. 

Life felt amazing. Loki couldn't help but imagine the amount of trouble his brother would get once the word spread about his whereabouts.

His imagination was running wild, but the one thing Loki couldn't imagine was how, merely thirty minutes later, he'd find himself in the dungeons deep beneath the surface of the Moon, half-drowned, and viciously bitten.

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